A message to Wrestling Fans: Part II

[wrestlingfan2]

I’m tired of all the whining and crying about both TNA and WWE product being bad. First off, it isn’t that bad. Could it be better? Of course it can be! Has it been worse? Damn right it has! The wrestling business has been better than has been in years! It’s not going to make everyone happy. I’m not happy with everything but it’s been awhile since I’ve had legitimate interest in wrestling as a whole. There is finally a choice on Monday and Wrestlemania is here! I don’t know about you, but this is the first time in some time WM has interested me as a whole. I’m probably crazy writing this because it won’t change the majority of your minds but I just want to give you a few points and possibly ease your pain.

TNA is in the middle of a rebirth. It’s only been under “new management” for couple months now. Is it everything I want to be right now? No, but I’m not going to bitch and moan like the majority of you wrestling fans. It seems to me that people want TNA to fail. Why the hell would you want that?! Competition is what drives people. It brings the best out of people. You people have to give TNA time to get its identity. It’s getting not only the TNA faithful but a whole different audience who hasn’t really seen it. Let it establish itself. This past Monday’s Impact (3-8-10) was some of TNA’s best stuff. Now, I’m not saying that it will always be that good but it’s something to look forward too. Unlike most people it seems, I’m going to give TNA the benefit of the doubt for the time being. I’ll get back to you in 6 months or so.

WWE on the other hand is on the road to Wrestlemania. Their top show of the year. Is it always going to be great TV? Maybe not, but it’s been exciting so far. The card overall are main event matches and yet we see and read people who want to bitch about it especially Bret Hart. He’s a 52 yr old man who had a stroke a few years back. To come back and wrestle one last time is pretty amazing to me. A lot of people don’t seem to understand that they have been building this match for some time now and people are saying how bad it’s been done. This is what wrestling is all about ladies and gentlemen. It’s about building storylines and feuds. I wish we’d see more of that. The PG rating has been a huge deal it seems lately has well. What has really changed, no blood and the use of the word “ass”? Give me a break! Do I agree with the rating? No, but it hasn’t really affected me as much as it seems it has everyone else.

I could go on and on and give you plenty more examples but I hope the things I’ve said gives some people perspective. Instead of crying about wrestling all the time, maybe you can show some patience and give it a chance. Otherwise, there are plenty of other shows on TV. Maybe you should change the channel and leave the people who enjoy wrestling the hell alone. While I’m not pleased with everything, I’m not going to whine and cry about it all the time. Maybe Chris Jerhico is right, maybe all of you are a bunch of hypocrites? For those of you who are with me on this one, keep up the good fight my friends.

 

[Big Time]

...so, dont complain about a product you are not satisfied with, and suck it up?

I dont exactly agree that WWE is at its lowest point ever, but lets face it, its not exactly a thrill ride these days. Its just kind of... bland. Its like theyre not really trying anymore.

 

[Arkham Noir]

Its like theyre not really trying anymore.

This is something that one has to stand back and put yourself in their position before judgment can be placed.There are very few people out there that try one they do not have to. WWE is doing great buisness and their rating are fine. Put yourself in their position , would you be trying harder? Most likely not.

As for the general statment of this thread :I will say this. I love WWE, I always have and most likely always will. When you love something you accept it regardless. You accept it through the best of times and the worst of times.

Many fans on these forums do not have such loyalty.

 

[Undertaker the 5th]

I don't complain about it. The PG rating is doing fine. They were getting 2.7 ratings about last year or 2 years ago and they have been getting ratings around the 3.6 mark lately. They are doing good business. Also I do not care if TNA succeeds, they will never be bigger than the WWE.

As far as the Bret Hart thing, who cares? I started watching wrestling in late 2002 and never really saw any of his matches so I'm not really that much interested in what goes around his storyline.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

I can complain about wrestling as much as I want. I have watched been watching wrestling for 20 or so years. I have bought t-shirts, tickets to many live events, and PPV's. If I don't like the overal feel of the current product, I am going to say so. This is a WRESTLING FORUM! This is where you come to complain and/or praise. I complain about a lot of stuff, but I also praise certain aspects.

I have seen highs and lows, and IMO, this is a low point in wrestling. The PG-rating, IMO, is garbage. It takes away from edgy storylines, and we are left with some boring stuff. Not all of it, but a lot of it. And that is MY opinion. I am not saying I am always right, or that you need to agree with me. But if I pay good money to watch a product over a long period of time, it does give me SOME right to complain when I don't like what's going on.

I think the differences we see on this forum between people who complain about the WWE and those who complain about TNA are vast. WWE fans seem to be concerned about the QUALITY of the program, not how many tickets are sold or how the tv ratings are doing. TNA fans are pissed because the product is chaning.

I don't have a problem with hardcore TNA fans being upset over recent changes, but it seems as though they aren't giving it a chance. But again, that is MY opinion, and that doesn't mean it's always going to be right. While I may disagree with other TNA fans and how they feel about the show and it's current direction, it is their RIGHT to say so. And I respect them for doing so.

I just don't like the fact that you are telling us to just sit down on our couches and accept what they are putting out there. We don't have to do that anymore. We can choose to not watch at all, sure. But why would I want to stop watching when I believe it can improve? Can I improve it? No. But that is why we are VIEWERS. Customers! I feel if I pay to watch something (I pay for cable, I pay for tickets to the show, I pay for PPV's), I can voice my opinion anytime I feel like it.

 

[Schizophrenic]

The real issue I have with fans recently is not that they want to complain. I get that. I don't agree with everything that either company does and I will voice my views. However there are certain fans I have problems with. The first would be the people that do nothing but talk about "who is friends with who" and "who is sleeping with who". In reality who really cares. Most of these fans are mad that their favorite wrestler isn't getting the push and find any reason to complain. The others would be the "rating marks" Those who think that ratings can somehow magically determine who had the better product. This was shown this past week. It's been debated the past week whose Monday Night show was better and the first argument people tried to use was the ratings. Just because more people watch something doesn't really mean that it's the better product. Ratings are just a dumb way to judge quality. The last would be the people (fans of both companies) who think that because they don't like a company it shouldn't be around or operational. My question is if you don't like a company or watch it then why should it matter to you if it's operational or what they are doing? The people that go into the TNA forum that don't watch then complain that they are not doing it right or that it sucks just make themselves look stupid and like a WWE mark.

 

[TKO 3:16]

The real issue I have with fans recently is not that they want to complain. I get that. I don't agree with everything that either company does and I will voice my views. However there are certain fans I have problems with. The first would be the people that do nothing but talk about "who is friends with who" and "who is sleeping with who". In reality who really cares. Most of these fans are mad that their favorite wrestler isn't getting the push and find any reason to complain. The others would be the "rating marks" Those who think that ratings can somehow magically determine who had the better product. This was shown this past week. It's been debated the past week whose Monday Night show was better and the first argument people tried to use was the ratings. Just because more people watch something doesn't really mean that it's the better product. Ratings are just a dumb way to judge quality. The last would be the people (fans of both companies) who think that because they don't like a company it shouldn't be around or operational. My question is if you don't like a company or watch it then why should it matter to you if it's operational or what they are doing? The people that go into the TNA forum that don't watch then complain that they are not doing it right or that it sucks just make themselves look stupid and like a WWE mark.

Well IMO if you get the better ratings, then guess what? Your the better product.
Just like anything else, its about the "customer", the person who "invests" the time into a product. I LOVE WWE, am a complete mark. So when I can, I get PPV's and ALWAYS watch Raw. Not saying that's what everyone else does but when your ratings are 2 to 3 points better than your so called "opponent's" ratings, then the PEOPLE have chosen.
Maybe its just that PPl will watch Raw because they can always catch the repeat of IMPACT on thursdays. IMO that is a bad move on TNA's part.
This is 1 of the reasons I can honestly say the WWE will FOREVER be the #1 brand in Pro Wrestling. They have the money, and with that comes bigger and better things. TNA should enjoy these months that they have coming, because in about a years time, I'm sure it will be clear that WWE will STILL be ahead in every way.
The bret hart angle is a BIG deal to me. I was raised in the "golden Era" of pro wrestling and when the Montreal ScrewJob happened, it was the biggest thing ppl were talking about.
Having read Brets autobiography and followed him amongst MANY other superstars, Vince vs. Bret at 'Mania this year will be a bout that most of us never thought would happen. History will be made IMO and we should all just enjoy the road to WrestleMania.
So TNA, thanks for letting me watch MY WWE and being able to catch your "show" in the same week, because if TNA didn't have a repeat, I wouldn't even wouldn't even TUNE IN!
The ONLY reason they get ANY attention from me is because of the guys like AJ, Pope, beer $,and sting, but I REALLY tuned in when Hogan was adverised to be there. I guess watching him "just keep his heads above water" is funny to me.
Flair and Hogan are to old ass men and have NO buisness in the ring. Behind the scenes is another thing, but for god's sake, spare your fans the t.v. Time. There are PLENTY of stars in TNA that could be doing VERY well, and yet the program cirulates around Hogan. Talk about wanting ratings, TNA is basicaly BEGGING for ratings, and barley gets them.
"War".... What war?

 

[DirtyJosé]

The real issue I have with fans recently is not that they want to complain. I get that. I don't agree with everything that either company does and I will voice my views. However there are certain fans I have problems with. The first would be the people that do nothing but talk about "who is friends with who" and "who is sleeping with who". In reality who really cares. Most of these fans are mad that their favorite wrestler isn't getting the push and find any reason to complain.

Totally agree with you here. It's a bummer sometimes, but it's not something regulated only to wrestling. This happens all the time, all over the place, and it's just a fact of life.

The others would be the "rating marks" Those who think that ratings can somehow magically determine who had the better product. This was shown this past week. It's been debated the past week whose Monday Night show was better and the first argument people tried to use was the ratings. Just because more people watch something doesn't really mean that it's the better product. Ratings are just a dumb way to judge quality.

Mildly disagree with you on this one. Ratings aren't the "be all/end all". But they are a strong indication of what's going on with the people who watch this stuff, and which brand they prefer. Especially if one party is talking about "winning battles" and "stealing viewers". TNA has made ratings a big deal to them, and has made that public, so using that as a measure of their success or failure is totally fair.

The last would be the people (fans of both companies) who think that because they don't like a company it shouldn't be around or operational. My question is if you don't like a company or watch it then why should it matter to you if it's operational or what they are doing?

All right, another agree here, nothing wrong with...

The people that go into the TNA forum that don't watch then complain that they are not doing it right or that it sucks just make themselves look stupid and like a WWE mark.

Oh damnit, you had to go and do that. Define "don't watch". Don't watch meaning ever, at all, never have never will? Or don't watch really meaning didn't watch until recently? If someone is mouthing off about how much a finish sucked but NEVER actually saw it, they are a sad sack of crap. But if you are talking about newer TNA viewers who dislike it's direction or booking or whatever, you'll have to get used to it because right now TNA is going for them more than they are you, the older fan. They've made that clear.

 

[Jpeart]

I think there are a lot of good points raised in this thread. I think on the whole we as wresting fans could 'allow' ourselves to enjoy it more than we do.

I like WWE and TNA but sometimes find myself complaining about things. For example I never like it when they 'pretend' something has gone wrong when it hasn't, so I was whinging about the Hernandez segment on Impact! last week.

With WWE I was complaining recently about Edge's return. I'm a huge fan of his so would liked to have seen a big promo package hyping his rehabilitation and impending return like we've had in the past with HHH.

But at the end of the day its silly complaining about things like that. If I don't enjoy one part of the show I don't enjoy it, there are lots I do so I' trying to concentrate on that more.

I don't think people should never air any gripes or complain about the show but keep it in perspective. Neither company is writing each show for me and me alone, elements of the show I don't like will be seen as gold to others and thats cool. The guys I like are probably seen as a piss break for others.

My point basically is just allow yourselves to enjoy what you are watching, if your favourite wrestler is in a spot you don't like, make the most of it, or hang on until the next match/segment when something you like will come on.

 

[Trill Co$by]

Well IMO if you get the better ratings, then guess what? Your the better product.

This isn't always the case. Incase you forget, WWE was the only wrestling around for a while with nobody else to compete with. And because of that, WWE has gotten a lot more fans just because it's been around so long. TNA has only been around for a few years, and is still blooming. Sometimes it's just a case of not being well known.

For example, the last five minutes of Impact (IMO) was better than Raw's last five minutes. I mean I happen to like seeing a wrestling show end after the main event match, instead of some crummy segment.

It's kind of like whenever you go to a restaurant in your town that's exclusive to your town. Just because a million people don't know about it, doesn't mean it can't be a great restaurant.

Sometimes it's things like the Wal-Marts and WWE's that keep down the local business and TNA's.




As for the OP, I'm going to tell you right now... your argument is pointless. As much as I desperately agree that these people need to just sit back, watch the product, and move on... it's just a lost cause. I mean that's like me ranting about how great of a booker Russo is and everyone else calling him garbage, disregarding the fact that he made The Rock's and Stone Cold's careers.